What is Behind the Generational Jump in Bisexual Identity?

Newsletter March 9, 2023

Blue, purple, and pink watercolor bisexual flag.

The number of Americans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender is on the rise. A recent Gallup poll found that seven percent of Americans are now LGBT. Over the past 10 years, the number of LGBT Americans has doubled in size. 

But that’s not the most interesting part of Gallup’s report. There is a fascinating generational pattern as well. Young adults express far greater fluidity in their sexual preferences and identities than previous generations. One in five Gen Zers are LGBT. What’s remarkable is how much this increase is driven by the rapid growth of bisexual identity. The vast majority of Gen Z LGBT people are bisexual. This is not true for Baby Boomers—the majority of LGBT Boomers are either gay or lesbian. 


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